Can carton



P 1964 R. M. DUNNING 3,147,862

CAN CARTON Filed July 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 United States Patent3,147,862 CAN CARTON Robert M. Dunning, St. Paul, Minn, assignor toWaldorf Paper Products Company, Ramsey County, Minn., a corporation ofMinnesota Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,662 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-65)This invention relates to an improvement in can cartons and dealsparticularly with an open-ended sleeve type carton designed to containtwo parallel rows of cans, and preferably those having chimed ends.

Many can containing sleeves have been commercially produced, thesesleeves preferably having open ends through which the contents may beseen. Many such carriers have been produced having central partitionswhich extend between the two rows and which hold the upper and lowerpanels from bulging or bowing. More recently it has been proposed toproduce can carriers having no central partition in the interests ofeconomy. It has been proposed to retain the ends of the cans against thetop or bottom panel of the carton by providing a pair of flanges whichextend between the ends of the two rows, and including anchoring flangeswhich are folded toward the end panel and which are designed to engageagainst the chimes to hold the panel from bowing. The biggest difficultywith carriers of this type lies in the fact that the two flanges whichare anchored together between the rows of cans must be adhered in facecontact. This requires a very tight seal due to the fact that the gluebond is depended upon to hold the sleeve closed.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a carrierof the same general type as those described but having portions of theends of the blank overlapped and adhered or locked together so as toprovide a more elfective seal. At the same time, flange means areprovided which engage between the rows of cans and which is apertured toaccommodate the chime of one can. An anchoring flange is hingedlyconnected to the first flange and is folded back upon the firstmentioned flange in order to engage the chimes of the cans of the otherrow.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention willbe more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification andclaims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carrier in cancontaining position.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of thecarrier.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the closed carrier, the upper portionof the carrier being broken away and the cans being removed to disclosethe construction.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carrier isformed.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a modified formof carrier.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view on the line 6--6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carrier isformed.

As indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the carrier A comprises anelongated generally rectangular strip of paperboard or the likeincluding an intermediate panel 10 which is foldably connected alongtransverse fold lines 11 and 12 to side wall panels 13 and 14,respectively. The side wall panels 13 and 14 are connected along foldlines 15 and 16 to end panels 17 and 19, respectively.

3,147,862 Patented Sept. 8, 1964 The end panel 10 which is provided withlocking tabs 20 which are designed to fold inwardly along fold lines 21to extend into the chimed ends of the cans B. The end panels 17 and 19are provided with similar foldably connected tabs 22 each of which isconnected to the end panel along a line of fold 23 which permits thetabs 22 to be folded inwardly and to engage the chimed ends of the cansB opposite the ends engaged by the tabs 20.

The end panel 17 is of a width substantially equal to the diameter ofthe cans of one row and this panel is connected along a fold line 24 toa flange 25 which may fold at substantially right angles to the endpanel 17 and to extend between the cans of the two rows. The flange 25is hingedly connected along a fold line 26 to an anchoring flange 27.The anchoring flange 27 is somewhat shorter than the flange 24 so thatthe edge of the flange 27 may abut against the portions of the chimedends of the cans B which encircle the cylindrical can walls.

The fold line 24 which connects the panel 17 to the flange 25 isinterrupted by angular cut lines which are designed to form aperturesthrough the flange 25 when this flange is folded into right angularrelation to the panel 17. A central U-shaped cut line 29 is formed inthe flange 25 with the sides of the U-shaped cut line terminating at theline of fold 24 so that the portion of the blank defined by the out lineremains in the plane of the panel 17 when the flange 25 is foldedinwardly. Similar angular cut lines 30 are provided at the side edges ofthe blank, the angular cut lines 30 also defining generally rectangularears 31 which remain in the plane of the panel 17 when the flange isfolded inwardly. As a result, the

cut lines 29 provide apertures through the flange 25 of proper size toaccommodate a portion of the chime of a corresponding can B. As aresult, the edges of the apertures 29 and 30' which are parallel to thefold line 24 tend to provide abutments against which the chimed ends ofthe can may engage.

When the flange 27 has been folded along the fold line 26, the marginaledge of the flange 27 engages the chimes of the cans of the other row,the free edge of the flange 27 extending substantially flush with theupper edges of the apertures formed in the flange 25.

In the particular arrangement illustrated in the drawings, the panel 19is of a length which is sufliciently greater than the can diameter topermit the end edge of the blank to overlie the panel 17. As a result,the edge of the panel 17 may be adhered in face contact with the panel17.

In the arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4, the panel 10 is shownas comprising the top panel and the panel 17 and 19 the bottom panel.The doubled flanges 25 and 27 extend between the walls of the can withthe chimed ends extending through the apertures in the flange 25 andbeneath the free edge of the flange 27. Obviously, the panel 10 maycomprise the bottom panel if it is preferred.

In FIGURES 5 through 8 of the drawings, I disclose a modified form ofconstruction in which the ends of the blank are locked together ratherthan glued. In other respects, the two constructions are similar. Thecarrier C includes an intermediate end panel 40 which is foldablyconnected along opposite fold lines 41 and 42 to side wall panels 43 and44. The side walls 43 and 44 are foldably connected along fold lines 45and 46 to end panels 47 and 49 respectively. The end panel 47 issubstantially equal in width to the can diameter and is hingedlyconnected along a fold line 50 to a first flange 51. The flange 51 isfoldably connected along a fold line 52 to an anchoring flange 53 whichis designed to engage against the can chimes in the same manner as theflange 27. The fold line 50 is interrupted by a U- shaped out line 54and angular cut lines 55 to form apertures in the flange 51 throughwhich the can chimes of the other row may partially extend. The endpanels 46 and 47 are provided with locking tabs 55 and 56 to hold thecans engaged in the sleeve.

The end panel 49 is of a length substantially equal to the can diameterand is foldably connected along a fold line 57 to spaced flange portions59 which are interrupted by locking tongues 60. The flange portion 59may, if desired, extend between the flanges 51 and 53 if desired. Thelocking tongues 60 are designed to extend through apertures in the panel47 defined by angularly shaped cut lines 61 which are connected to theflange 51 along the fold line 50 and which fold out of the panel 47. Thelocking tongues 66 are of larger size than the apertures defined by theout line 61 so as to engage inwardly of the apertures when engaged, asis perhaps best illustrated in FIGURES and 7 of the drawings. Thelocking tongues 64) are spaced so as to be between the cans of the tworows in the assembled form of the carrier.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my improvement in can carrier, andwhile I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, Idesire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scopeof the following claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a group of two juxtaposed parallel rows ofchimed cans enclosed within a rectangular open ended carton, the cartonincluding a top wall panel overlying the upper chimed ends of the cansof the can group side walls connected to opposite sides of said top wallpanel, and enclosing the sides of the can group, and a bottom wall panelhingedly connected to the lower end of each side wall and each enclosingthe lower chimed ends of one row of cans, the free edge of one of saidbottom panels terminating substantially on the plane between said canrows, a flange on said free edge extending upwardly between said canrows and including apertures therethrough adjacent to the juncturebetween said flange and said free edge into which the lower chimed endsof one row of cans extend, and a terminal flange hinged to the upperedge of said first named flange and having the terminal free edgethereof extending downwardly and engaging the upper portion of the chimeon the adjacent cans and means for securing said bottom panels fromseparation.

2. A package comprising a group of two juxtaposed parallel rows ofchimed cans enclosed within a rectangular open ended carton, the cartonincluding a top wall panel overlying the upper chimed ends of the cansof the can group, side walls connected to opposite sides of said topwall panel, and enclosing the sides of the can group, and a bottom wallpanel hingedly connected to the lower end of each side wall and eachenclosing the lower chimed ends of one row of cans, the free edge of oneof said bottom panels terminating substantially on the plane betweensaid can rows, a flange on said free edge extending upwardly betweensaid can rows and including apertures therethrough adjacent to thejuncture between said flange and said free edge into which the lowerchimed ends of one row of cans may extend, and a terminal flange hingedto the upper edge of said first named flange and extending downwardlytherefrom with the terminal free edge thereof engaging the upper edge ofthe lower chimed ends of the other row of cans, the other of said bottompanels including means of attachment to said first named bottom panel.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said other bottom paneloverlaps said first named bottom panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,765,073 Murray Oct. 2, 1956 2,926,782 Andre Mar. 1, 1960 2,963,148Cote Dec. 6, 1960

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING A GROUP OF TWO JUXTAPOSED PARALLEL ROWS OFCHIMED CANS ENCLOSED WITHIN A RECTANGULAR OPEN ENDED CARTON, THE CARTONINCLUDING A TOP WALL PANEL OVERLYING THE UPPER CHIMED ENDS OF THE CANSOF THE CAN GROUP SIDE WALLS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOP WALLPANEL, AND ENCLOSING THE SIDES OF THE CAN GROUP, AND A BOTTOM WALL PANELHINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF EACH SIDE WALL AND EACH ENCLOSINGTHE LOWER CHIMED ENDS OF ONE ROW OF CANS, THE FREE EDGE OF ONE OF SAIDBOTTOM PANELS TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY ON THE PLANE BETWEEN SAID CANROWS, A FLANGE ON SAID FREE EDGE EXTENDING UPWARDLY BETWEEN SAID CANROWS AND INCLUDING APERTURES THERETHROUGH ADJACENT TO THE JUNCTUREBETWEEN SAID FLANGE AND SAID FREE EDGE INTO WHICH THE LOWER CHIMED ENDSOF ONE ROW OF CANS EXTEND, AND A TERMINAL FLANGE HINGED TO THE UPPEREDGE OF SAID FIRST NAMED FLANGE AND HAVING THE TERMINAL FREE EDGETHEREOF EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND ENGAGING THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CHIMEON THE ADJACENT CANS AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID BOTTOM PANELS FROMSEPARATION.